


My Promise To You

by DigitalAlice



Category: South Park
Genre: Fluff, M/M, More Fluff, there's a scavenger hunt too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-08 02:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12854997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigitalAlice/pseuds/DigitalAlice
Summary: Craig and Tweek's one year anniversary is coming up, but it looks like Craig might have forgotten!





	1. Chapter One

He was excited.

For the first time, Tweek wasn't twitching from nerves, but from pure excitement.

Today was Friday.

That meant tomorrow was  _Saturday_.

Saturday was his one year anniversary with Craig.

He'd worked hard on his gifts. He'd bought chocolate and a card and flowers, and then he got rid of the flowers, because what if Craig didn't like flowers and thought they were girly?

Oh god, what if he thought the chocolate was girly too?

Okay, now he was twitching from nerves.

No. It was fine. He had the chocolate and that drawing that he'd spent so much time on – Craig always told him how artistic he was. So Tweek drew their names in a nice font that curled and intertwined, and draw spaceships and constellations and hearts and other doodles that had meaning for them. He'd slaved over the picture, then framed it, then wrapped it. It was perfect. Tomorrow was going to be perfect.

He sat next to Craig at the cafeteria table, smiling just from thinking about it. He wondered what he and Craig were going to do. Maybe they could go back to the amusement park? It still scared Tweek to go, but it would be okay with Craig. He might enjoy it more this time around.

'Craig, are you free tomorrow?' Stan asked. 'I put together a scavenger hunt and I need someone to test it to see if it's too easy or hard.'

'No, I'm busy.' Craig munched on his fries.

Damn straight he was busy, Tweek thought, feeling pleased.

'Oh? What are you up to?'

'I have to head out of town for the weekend,' Craig said in his usual monotone voice. 'My parents are dragging me to this thing, for my aunt or something. I dunno.'

_Oh._

Tweek thought he'd stressed about every possible thing that could go wrong, from Craig not liking his presents through to them having a fight and not speaking on their anniversary. But one thing he hadn't even considered was that Craig would forget.

'You're going away?' Tweek asked hesitantly.

'Yeah. I'll be back on Sunday night though.'

'Oh. Okay.'

'What about you Tweek?' Stan asked. 'Can you test out my scavenger hunt? Please?'

It wasn't exactly how he'd been hoped to spend his Saturday, nor was it his ideal company. But with Craig out of town, he couldn't bear the thought of being alone on a day he'd been secretly so excited for.

'Sure, I guess,' Tweek said, trying to hide his disappointment.

'Great, thanks man! Kyle, you'll help too, right?'

'Sure,' Kyle said with a shrug. 'I got nothing better to do.'


	2. Chapter Two

Tweek didn't know if he should be upset or furious, and he didn't know what to do. The next morning he took the framed picture wrapped neatly in shiny paper, and with the card and chocolates he went over to Craig's house. He saw Craig's parents putting some backpacks in the trunk of the car.

'Hi, Mrs T-Tucker,' Tweek said, approaching her.

'Good morning Tweek,' she said, shutting the trunk. 'Did you want me to get Craig for you?'

'No thank you,' Tweak said quickly. 'Can you just put these inside for him please? They're not urgent. He can look at them when he gets back.' Tweek handed up the gifts and card.

'Back?'

Mrs Tucker looked ready to say something else, but Tweek's phone rang, interrupting them.

'Thanks. Sorry. I gotta go. Have a nice trip.'

Tweek picked up the call.

' _Hey, it's Stan. I'm at your place, where are you?'_

'Sorry, I was taking care of something! I'm heading back now.'

Tweek jogged down the street and back to his house. Stan and Kyle were leaning against the fence waiting for him. Stan handed him a metallic gold envelope.

'Welcome to the hunt,' he said with a smile. 'It starts with a riddle.'

'Gah! Ohh gosh,' Tweek started to panic. 'I'm not good at stuff like that!'

'It's cool, Kyle is here too. Just try it.'

Tweek opened the envelope and Kyle leaned over so they could see the clue.

_Music and candy and games galore,_

_You'll find your next clue in booth number Four._

_I'm bright and colourful and spin round and round,_

_Climb on board and sail high from the ground._

Tweek stared at the paper. This isn't what he'd rather be doing today. He had so many hopes for how he was going to spend the day. He knew Craig couldn't get around the trip, but the fact he hadn't remembered at all…

Tweek just wanted to be at the amusement park with him right now.

'The… the amusement park…' Tweek muttered, a realisation hitting him. 'The… the Ferris wheel!'

'Sounds right to me,' Kyle said, peering at the paper. 'I guess we go to the fourth cabin of that, then.'


	3. Chapter Three

Tweek wasn't sure how Stan convinced the Ferris wheel control guy to let them have the fourth cabin, but he didn't rule out bribery as a possibility.

They sat together in a line, Tweek in the middle. On the floor was another envelope, carefully hidden away in the corner near Kyle's feet. He grabbed it, then opened it and showed it to Tweek.

_I'm also bright and whirl round and round,_

_But in a different place I'll be found._

_I'm small enough to fit in your palm,_

_Spin me a lot and you will be calm._

'Hmm,' Kyle sighed, tilting his head. 'This one's a lot more vague, Stan.'

'Sorry. I'm not exactly a poet, you know.'

'What fits in your hand that you can spin a lot?' Kyle muttered, staring at the view from the top of the Ferris wheel.

'A fidget spinner,' Tweek said quietly, hugging himself tightly and thinking about Craig.

'You aren't meant to work it out that quickly, dude,' Stan chided him.

'It was just luck,' Tweek said as the ride began to descend. 'Craig got me one a while ago to help with my anxiety.'

'Oh,' Stan said. 'Trust you to have a memory that helps you figure it out quicker.'

They hopped off the ride.

'But that doesn't help us find it,' Tweek said, looking around. 'It just said  _in a different place_.'

'It's a small town,' Kyle reasoned. 'The only place I can think that would sell them nearby would be the toy store. Maybe we should check there?'

They made their way over, Stan keeping quiet. If they were wrong about the toy store then he wasn't saying anything. Despite his disappointment, Tweek wasn't having the worst time. It was pretty fun, and figuring out the clues was giving him confidence. He tried not to think too much about the fact that his obsessing over Craig was helping him solve the puzzles. He was just glad he wasn't spending the day alone.

He knew Craig wasn't the emotional type. He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up.

At the toy store there was a 'gift'. A wrapped box with a tag on it that read:  _For those seeking the ultimate prize_.

Tweek opened it and inside was a large, golden brown teddy bear. He lifted it out.

'It looks like Cinnamon,' Tweek whispered, feeling his chest tighten.

'Who's Cinnamon?' Stan asked, tilting his head.

'No one,' Tweek said quickly. He didn't want anyone else to know about the little bear Craig got for him, kept hidden away in a box for when he needed it most. 'It's nothing.'

Around the bear's neck was another clue. This one was a code word puzzle. Each letter of the alphabet had a corresponding number between 1 and 26, and they had to work out which number went with which letter. To start them off, they'd be given T = 13, O = 2, and M = 26.

To figure out the rest, they'd need to use the clues on the page and slot the answers into the crossword, which would gradually reveal the numbers for the alphabet. Once they'd done that, there was a line of numbers at the bottom – a phrase that could only be deciphered once they knew which numbers meant which letters.

Kyle and Tweek glanced at each other.

'There are pencils in the box,' Stan added, smiling like he was pleased with himself.


	4. Chapter Four

Tweek had taken the teddy bear with him. Stan told him it was paid for so they could use it for the hunt, but they couldn't leave it in the toy store. So Tweek held it close to his chest, feeling a little closer to Cinnamon because of it, and therefore closer to Craig.

The code had led them to the pet store, and from there they'd discovered their next location was the ice cream parlor. When they stepped out of the pet store, Kyle's phone buzzed.

'Crap,' he muttered, looking down at his phone. 'I gotta go.'

He started to run off and Stan called after him.

'Emergency, sorry!' He disappeared round the corner.

'Guess it's just you finishing this, then,' Stan said with a sigh.

'You're here,' Tweek replied.

'I can't test it, I know all the answers.'

'Oh. Right.'

They started walking to The Ice Cream Shoppe. Tweek couldn't help but think of Craig at every stage of the game; the pet store reminded him of Stripe, and they'd had plenty of dates at the parlor. But Tweek had to admit he was having fun.

He sat with Stan and they had ice cream milkshakes while he worked out the next clue. He knew where to go next, but for the moment, he was enjoying just sitting. If the anniversary wasn't important to Craig, it shouldn't be important to him. That's what he told himself.

What was more worrying though, was the idea that maybe Craig didn't think of this day as their anniversary. What if their relationship wasn't as genuine as he thought? What if Craig had been faking to start with, so he didn't consider a year ago to be their true first day of beginning to date?

They stopped briefly for lunch, but the scavenger hunt took up the rest of the afternoon. The venture took them to the school, the hospital, and even the coffee shop that Tweek's dad owned. All places where he had memories of Craig. Even thinking about Craig helped him solve the clues. Even the stupid bear that he was clinging to so desperately just reminded him…

'Okay, I'm back,' Kyle panted as he ran up to join them. 'Sorry.'

Tweek showed him their clue. It was a treasure map that said:

_X marks the spot of your ultimate prize,_

_Taking your time would be unwise._

Tweek looked down at the map. It wasn't far from their location. It was near Craig's house, but set further back, off of the property. He thought back to the times he'd visited Craig. It was mostly woods and a small brook back there. Just wilderness, if he was remembering rightly.

'I need to talk to you,' Kyle said to Stan urgently.

'About your emergency?'

Kyle nodded and Stan looked over.

'Tweek, you go ahead. That's the last clue, so you'll find the end of the hunt there. I need to talk to Kyle.'

'I can wait,' Tweek said, but Stan waved a hand.

'It's okay. You did the last half on your own anyway. Kyle shouldn't get the prize.'

Stan smiled at him and pulled Kyle away, saying, 'What happened?'


	5. Chapter Five

Tweek looked back down at the map. He could go and finish the hunt, then text Stan to let him know what he thought. Or maybe he would just let him know on Monday. The sun was starting to sink lower in the sky so Tweek started to jog in the direction of the prize. He held the map in one hand and the bear in the other, and headed past the houses until he reached Craig's house. Glancing at the map to make sure he was right, he walked around and into the backyard, continuing up and into the trees further back.

He couldn't see any prize, marker, or clue. He pushed a bit further in, away from the houses, and thought he saw a flash of blue.

'C…Craig?'

Craig was standing there smiling at him.

'Hey, you made it! I was getting worried.'

Seeing such a genuine look of happiness on Craig's face made Tweek smile despite his confusion.

'You didn't leave town?'

Craig shook his head.

'And you have Cinnamon the Second, awesome,' he said, nodding at the teddy Tweek was clutching. 'Did you like the scavenger hunt I made for you?'

'You made it?'

'Duh.' Craig threw his arms in the air. 'Every clue or location had something to do with us.'

'But Stan…'

'Is the biggest liar you'll ever meet, probably. But he did it because I asked him to. It was all staged.'

Tweek looked down at the bear he was holding, the bear that was not-so-coincidentally like the first one Craig had bought him.

He looked down at this new bear, the one Craig had also gotten him.

'Happy anniversary, babe.'

Tweek looked up, biting back the urge to cry and laugh and scream and freak out all at the same time.

'You remembered.'

'I repeat…' Craig said, '…duh.'

Tweek ran forward and threw his arms around Craig, and only then did he see what was behind him. It looked like a treehouse but on the ground.

'What's that?' Tweek asked.

'One of your anniversary presents,' Craig said. 'I know it won't beat Cinnamon the Second, but I made you a fort.'

Planks of wood had been nailed into place to make a little wooden bunker near the river. Over the top was a sheet of chicken coop wire, which supported a whole bunch of leaves to give it the look of a messy nest, and also gave it some camouflage.

Craig took Tweek inside. It was roomy enough for at least four people, had a solid floor and was completely decorated. There were solar-panel charged fairy lights, sleeping bags, books, plush toys, and the Quiet Box Craig had made for him.

Craig reached to the entrance and uncurled a roll of fabric above the gap which hung down as a makeshift door.

'I did have a proper door,' Craig said hastily. 'My dad helped me build this for you before he went out of town. But I miscalculated some stuff, and… well, I'm just lucky Kyle came and helped me find a fix for it. I'll get the proper door sorted when my dad gets back.'

'Kyle…' Tweek muttered, looking around at the den in awe.

'Do you like it?'

'I love it,' Tweek said, smiling. 'I love you.'

'I got your gifts, too,' Craig said. 'Your drawing kicks ass. I told you that you're talented.'

Tweek leaned up to switch on the lights. They twinkled like little stars.

'I really thought you'd forgotten.'

'I know you probably wanted to spend the day with me,' Craig explained, 'but I hadn't finished decorating it yet, and I really did put a lot of thought into the scavenger hunt, and-'

Tweek cut Craig off by kissing him.

'Thank you,' Tweek whispered.

The scavenger hunt had been fun, but now it felt like the best thing in the world knowing Craig had made it. All those things that made Tweek think of him hadn't been an accident; it had been Craig's doing. And Stan had set up the ruse the day before, and Kyle had pretended to be solving it with him, and had disappeared to help Craig finish the fort. Tweek felt warmth in his chest knowing he had people that cared about him that much.

'You really are the ultimate prize,' Tweek said, and Craig laughed nervously.

'Actually, uh, I'm not the prize.'

'You're not? What is then?'

Craig hesitated, reaching into his jacket pocket slowly.

'Well, this is.'

He took out a small black box and gave it to Tweek, his cheeks turning pink when Tweek gave him an inquisitive look.

'Open it, dork.'

Tweek popped open the box and gazed down at the ring inside. It was a thick, simple band, almost entirely silver with a black strip going around in the centre. On the inside of the ring one word was etched:

Shine.

'It's a promise ring,' Craig said quietly, taking it out of the box. 'I've been saving up for it for…' he smiled down at the ring sheepishly. '…for a while. I know we aren't ready to take things further physically, so I wanted to take the next step emotionally.'

'C-Craig…'

'In this ring are all of my promises to you.'

'What promises?'

Craig smiled at him.

'The ones I'm going to make right now.'

Tweek opened his mouth to speak but Craig put his hand on his mouth.

'Just listen,' he said softly.

He slipped the ring onto Tweek's wedding ring finger.

'I promise that I love you, and I will continue to love you, and will not stop loving you, even for a single second. I promise that I will be there for you day and night, through all the good times and bad times, for every anxious thought, small worry, or panic attack. I'll be there to chase the storms away, and to point out the stars to you, and to point out that you shine brighter than all of them.'

Tweek swallowed a lump in his throat as Craig held his hand.

'I promise I'll always make sure to have enough coffee in my house so when you stay over, even if you turn up unexpectedly, you'll always have enough. I promise I won't get mad when you eat my fries, and I'll always order another milkshake with you so you don't feel embarrassed getting seconds on your own. Every boy and girl I meet, I'll let them know I'm yours, so you can go to sleep every night knowing with certainty that you're the only one I'm looking at and thinking about. I promise I'll never, ever forget an anniversary…' Craig smiled at him as he said that, '...and I'll spend each and every day thanking life for giving me more time with you.'

The ring gleamed on Tweek's finger. It was so beautiful, so perfect. Tweek wrapped his arms around Craig's neck and kissed him gently. They sat cuddled up to each other quietly for a long time before Craig spoke again.

'I promise that one day I'll replace this ring with another one, a different kind,' he whispered in Tweek's ear. 'Because with you, anything less than everything just won't be enough.'


End file.
